I could use a good easy tutorial for a PW Manager in non geek terminology. (ya know…easy to understand) I’m old and slow.
I have tried some different PW Managers over the years. I gave up on most, but I’m still working on KeePassXC.
Thanks a bunch
t.s
I might try to write something a little more detailed for ya.
I have been using Last Pass for the past couple years and it seem to a good PW manager.
Have a good day.
Howard
Bitwarden seems very compatible with Firefox and other browsers. I’ve used it successfully for several years.
I started using Bit Warden (premium) earlier this year. It’s been great so far. Bit Warden works in with every major browser and mobile platform. There are also snap and flatpak packages for a ‘native’ app. The flatpak version just works on Ubuntu 22.04.
For many years LastPass was my password manager of choice. I was a premium subscriber. Breaches happen but LP had two back to back. It just gave me the heebee jeebess.
If you happen to be a Dropbox subscriber. Dropbox passwords was decent. I used it for a month or two between the switch from LP to BW.
I tried lastpass for a couple years, years ago, didn’t like it - then they got a data breach so I removed ALL my stuff out and changed all my passwords (I don’t know if my were breached or not), not exactly confidence inspiring…
Many of my customers are still using KeepAss and kdbx files - so I use that for those customers, so I always have a copy lying around for MacOS and Linux (I just use KeepAss2 on Linux).
But - for my most common passwords, I “rolled my own” solution with a bunch of shell scripts, tried using PGP but it’s incredibly cumbersome, then I found “age” encryption tool - and haven’t looked back… That won’t be much help for you - just thought I’d mention it… Best thing I like about having a solution in a terminal, is select to copy the string, then in Linux middle-click to paste it (I believe theres a curses / console tool that’s compatible with kdbx files, but it was a tad cumbersome).
I’d stick with Keepass if I was you…
Keep passwords out of the computer altogether.
I dont trust any password manager software.
In write mine (encrypted) in a notebook.
Do you lock up the notebook? The cats might be peeking.
The cat actually sits on it. Biological firewall.
Started to get fed up my own “roll your own” password manager…
So I tried the old UNIX “pass” - but that needs PGP and I find that piece of crap unneccessarily cumbersome… then someone ported “pass” to go, and “gopass” but that needs GPG and GIT - and some other solution that can use “age” instead - but - still cumbersome and requires git - I DON’T want to use GIT!
Took another look at kpcli - but it refused to open my main KDBX file I’ve been using in Keepass2 and KeepassXC - I think it somehow got converted to 3.x or 4.x db format…
So - decided to create a new DB inside kpcli… Seems okay…
I have my main work user accounts and passwords in it now - enfuriatingly - therre’s no way to default (or move) all the entries into the “root” folder of the shell that KPCLI presents - but can still reference them by their index :
When it works properly (seems a bit inconsistent) I can just type e.g. :
kpcli:/Database> xp wc-admin
Copied password for "wc-admin" to the clipboard.
and it will copy that password into the clipboard - and - I have it installed in MacOS with homebrew as well… Sometimes “cracks a sad” (gets flustered) if I have the kdbx open on multiple computers) - but seems to work.
I really REALLY cannot be arsed typing out passwords (e.g. from a hard copy / notepad / post it note etc) - and - I don’t care about clipboard (well not enough to make it a showstopper) security… I’m lazy - some of these things I’m copying passwords to the clipboard 25-30 times a day - once I get muscle memory driving my use of kpcli for long enough - it will hopefully become second nature…
I’m lazy…
So - I’ll probably try both my systems in parallel and see which one’s more productive…
I also thought about “re-writing” my “roll your own” (I HATE that word “bespoke” because in software - that usually means an incredibly unstable pre-alpha thing that went into production when it went 18 months and six figures over-budget, and held together with chicken-wire and duct-tape, “legacy” application that’s business mission critical) - but cumbersome to run that parallel with the previous one - as I had multiple “databases” (encrypted text files with field delimiters)…
Ideally what I’d like is a single command - as using an interactive shell (kpcli is interactive, not strictly “cli”) is still too many keystrokes…
I think I will rewrite my “roll your own” solution…
So I can just so something like :
command $entry-key password(for database)
And it returns that password (for “entry-key”) to the clipboard… Easy enough to do with xclip installed (and I have it installed). Sure that’s insecure - if my system gets compromised and someone can snoop on my shell history - but - by the time that’s too late anyway - HOW DID THEY GET IN? That’s my main issue - not a compromised shell history!
I have the answer… use the crypt option in vi ( it needs to be vim… original vi does not have the option)
Advantages -
I have been testing it for a while. In my case all I need to do is copy the encrypted file to other computers occasionally. You may need some sort of sync.
Give it a try. Would be interested in your response
Since I’ve seen no mention of it in this forum, I’ll volunteer that Proton Pass is worth a look. I used it in parallel with Bitwarden for a month or so and then switched. It’s been solid for several months now.
I am still using them both. I use all of Proton products except VPN. And some things they are way better than Bitwarden. But other times, not so much.
Sometimes when you click in a field to login, Proton browser extension will show you the info you need, but will not autofill, will not appear near those fields for you to use it to login. When proton pass does appear, it is fast, easy.
Bitwarden, on the other hand, in a browser, has the annoying habit of asking if you want to save the login even after you just used Bitwarden to login. That drives me nuts.
So for now, I have them both. Of course, the fact that Bitwarden has a desktop app means I don’t have to use a browser extension and I feel that is more secure. I just copy from the app and paste into the website or other app I need to log into. I am sure Proton is working on a desktop app, but in the meantime, I keep both.
Sheila
A girlfriend of mine kept her passwords in a diary, logic as she always carried it … down side she forgot it in a public bar and was lost for a few days. Every year she copies it into the new diary (filofax is so yesterday !) And of course forgets, misses one, writes it different mixes uper and lower case…
Walking disaster, so glad she lost me in one of the updates …
I’m using the VPN more and more. I know it works because the websites that try to guess my location are fooled every time. Cheers!
Two weeks later - and “kpcli” is my goto for work passwords…
Saves me a chunk of time…
I want the password for entry 4 in my folder of secrets ?
cd SECRETS
xp 4
and it’s plonked into the clipboard… I’m not overly concerned about clipboard security… By the time someone’s compromised my systems - clipboard security is the least of my concerns…
I’ll probably keep using my other “Roll Your Own” solution for my personal systems…
KPCLI works well - and if I ever need to - I can open its kdbx file on Keepass2 or KeepassXC or whatever…